(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc case for receiving a disc on which information data are recorded and for supporting the disc rotatably in the disc case, the disc case being able to be set into a reproducing apparatus with the disc received in the disc case; and more particularly to a locking mechanism for locking the disc case which comprises a first case member and a second case member associated with said first case member to be able to open and close with each other.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
There is already known a disc case for a microfloppy disc used in relation to various office automation equipments. Such disc case receives a microfloppy disc so that the disc can not be taken out of the case. Thus, when the disc is to be reproduced, a disc reproducing apparatus may be charged with the disc case together with the disc to be reproduced. Therefore, the disc case of such construction can not have the disc replaced and is not suitable for a disc case for a compact disc of the Compact Disc Digital Audio System.
Therefore, the present applicant has suggested in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 721,667 a disc case constructed to receive a disc so that the disc can be replaced. This disc case is formed of an upper case and a lower case which can be opened and closed with each other so that, when the upper case and lower case are opened, the disc will be able to be replaced. Such disc case must be locked in a closed state by a locking mechanism so that the upper case and the lower case may not accidentally open, and this locking mechanism is practically required to be easy to operate for opening the case.
There is already known such locking mechanism of this kind wherein, for example, a recess is formed in one of an upper case and a lower case, and a projection is formed in an other so that the upper case and the lower case may be locked with each other by elastically engaging the recess and the projection with each other. It is adopted, for example, in a case for storing a compact disc. In such construction, in the case of locking or unlocking it, it is necessary to elastically deform the entire case, and both the easy operation for opening the case and the positive operation for locking the case are contradictory to each other and have been difficult to be compatible with each other.
Also, a locking mechanism of such construction as is shown, for example, in FIG. 1 is known. This locking mechanism is a device adopted in a dry battery containing part of such portable audio device as, for example, a portable radio set, wherein an engaging part d is formed at one end of a lid c for opening and closing an opening b of a device body a, and an opening and closing operation part h consisting of an elastically deformable part f of a U-shaped cross-section having a pawl e and an operating button g are formed at the other end of the lid c so that, when the lid c is to be closed, as shown in the drawing, the engaging part d and pawl e are engaged with the edge parts of the opening b and, when the lid c is to be opened, the operating button g is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A to disengage the pawl e from the device body a and then the operating button g will be lifted (upward) in the direction indicated by the arrow B to take out the lid c.
In the conventional lid opening and closing device above mentioned, in the case of opening the lid c, the operating button g will have to be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A and then further in the direction indicated by the arrow B and therefore there is a problem that the lid c opening operation is difficult.